Cabinet endorses next stage of Local Plan process

Shropshire Council’s Cabinet have endorsed a response to the Planning Inspector’s Interim Findings report today, as part of ongoing work to establish Shropshire’s new Local Plan.

The response will be submitted to Planning Inspectors for further consideration, and a second stage of hearings is likely to follow as a result.

The draft Shropshire Local Plan was submitted for examination in September 2021, followed by a first stage of hearings with inspectors in July 2022 and January 2023.

The Interim Findings report on the issues addressed in the first stage hearings was received by council officers in February 2023, and the next stage in the process is to submit a response, which Cabinet have considered and approved today (Wednesday 19 July 2023).

The Interim Findings report detailed inspectors’ conclusions that the council met its legal ‘duty to co-operate’, which effectively meant the inspectors were satisfied the council worked appropriately with neighbouring and closely-related authorities when preparing the draft Shropshire Local Plan.

They also concluded that the approach to housing and employment land needs derived in Shropshire itself are satisfactory, and they have not requested that Shropshire Council reconsider proposed contributions in Shropshire to unmet housing and employment land needs forecast to arise in the Black Country – acknowledging the agreement reached between Shropshire Council and the Black Country authorities regarding these contributions.

However, the inspectors did identify a few areas where further work and additional main modifications are required before the examination proceeds – this is not unusual, and is an important part of the examination process.

A report was presented to Cabinet earlier today, which summarises the further work undertaken in response to the Interim Findings report, and the resultant proposed response, which officers will now submit to inspectors.

Lezley Picton, Leader of the Council said:-

“I’m pleased Cabinet have endorsed this response, and the draft Shropshire Local Plan can continue onto the next stage of the process.

“This response covers a range of issues and has been informed by extensive further work undertaken by the council. In particular it summarises the council’s position that the housing and employment land requirements and the wider spatial strategy proposed within the draft Shropshire Local Plan remain appropriate and as such no further site allocations are proposed.

“Cabinet have also approved a provisional public consultation, on the premise that Planning Inspectors may recommend this exercise, as part of the second set of hearings.

“Following this, its likely that an Inspector’s Report will be issued in Spring next year, and hopefully, the Local Plan will seek adoption from Full Council next June.”